BACKGROUND: Tobacco marketing strategies increasingly utilize digital platforms to promote their products. Among these strategies, health claims in message framing play a significant role in shaping public perceptions, particularly on social media. This study explores the prevalence and characteristics of health claims as part of tobacco marketing messages on Indonesian social media platforms.
METHODS: This analytical study utilized data from the Tobacco Enforcement and Reporting Movement (TERM), a digital monitoring system for tobacco marketing. Data were collected between January 2022 and August 2023, encompassing 21255 posts from Instagram, Facebook, news sites, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube. Quantitative analysis was conducted using frequency and percentage to assess message framing and marketing tactics.
RESULTS: A total of 219 posts containing health claims were identified. The majority (214 posts) were found on Instagram, followed by Facebook (4 posts). Among these, 198 posts were categorized as direct advertisements, 5 as price promotions, and 1 as community-based marketing. In terms of product types, 202 posts promoted e-cigarettes, 8 featured nicotine products, and 3 were related to heated tobacco products.
CONCLUSIONS: Health claims are a notable element of tobacco marketing on Indonesian social media platforms, with Instagram being the primary channel. Most messages emphasize e-cigarettes through direct advertisements. This highlights the need for stronger regulations and monitoring of health-related claims in digital tobacco marketing to protect public health.